A Dark and Stormy Night
by Crawler
Summary: AU Ritzkin fic. Doesn't actual happen in the Ritzkin Arc, but a potential What if... story. After Tugger and Munkustrap fall out, Simbol comes and comforts the tabby. Slash.


Title: A Dark and Stormy Night  
Rating: R here, NC-17 at its home  
Warnings: Gay Jellicle sex  
Notes: I wrote this story a little while ago, because I was bitten by a Simbol/Munkustrap bug. Of all things.

This story DID NOT HAPPEN in the Ritzkin arc. If you don't like it, that's perfectly all right. It NEVER HAPPENED. It just would have been fun if it did.

To find this story in its entirety, go to o u r j e l l i c l e s . p r o b o a r d s 5 1 . c o m and click on the forum entitled "Deep in the Junkyard" You'll need a password to enter: "you'll never guess" (no quotation marks, but otherwise, put in the punctuation and spaces). You do NOT need to be a member to access this story. It is the one called: Fanfiction: Stormy Night (Ritzkin Arc 6.a9) NC-17!

Leave a review if you like it! Please! (again, do NOT need to join to do that)

I DON'T OWN CATS!

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A Dark and Stormy Night

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Munkustrap huddled in his den, what used to be an old cardboard box. Over the years, it had been so surrounded by rubbish that even after the cardboard rotted away, the shape remained. Outside, he could hear thunder rumbling, warning of a storm about to come.

Or maybe it was just a train passing through.

Munkustrap was pretty sure it was thunder, though. It was far too frequent but not constant. No way could it be a train.

The 'yard was dark, the moon was covered by shadows. Still, there was a faint glow from the city, just enough to allow the cats to see easily.

That glow was blocked, however, as a cat stepped up to the entrance. Munkustrap looked up and then quickly stood up, pressing his paws together and lifting his chin to greet Simbol. "Sir. Is everything all right?" He wasn't on duty tonight (for which he was eternally grateful - no cat liked patrolling the yard when it started to rain), so the only reason Simbol should be here was in the event of an emergency...

"The 'yard is safe," Simbol said quietly, in respect to the other cats sleeping throughout the place. "May I come in?"

Simbol wanted... to come in...? Munkustrap nodded, moving aside so the large Protector could enter.

Simbol chose the opposite corner of the den from Munkustrap (not that it really meant much, the box wasn't really all that large) and curled up, wrapping his tail loosely around his paws. To the untrained eye, he looked completely relaxed and at-ease, but Munkustrap knew better. Whether it was just his nature or whether it was from years of protecting the junkyard, he didn't know, but Simbol was _never_ completely at-ease. Tugger even said that when he was with Jenny...

Munkustrap's ears drooped slightly at the thought of Tugger. Tugger hadn't forgiven him... Tugger was still mad at him.

Tugger wasn't his friend anymore.

"Munkustrap."

Munkustrap jumped fractionally and glanced up, meeting Simbol's gold eyes. They seemed to glow in the dark, piercing through Munkustrap and reading all his secrets. He had almost forgotten the Protector was in his den.

"Sir?"

"What's wrong?"

And if that wasn't outright conversational, Munkustrap didn't know what was. Simbol _never_ had time for small talk with the younger cats. He much preferred the company of his own generation - Skimble and Jenny, and Gus and Jelly, and Deuteronomy... and not really Coricopat and Tantomile, because they were freaky-creepy.

"Sir...?"

Simbol sighed and shook his head. "Munkustrap, I'm not blind. You've been distracted and distraught recently. Even here, now, your mind wanders off somewhere. What is wrong?"

Munkustrap could almost hear Simbol finishing that thought - 'a distracted guardian is a dead guardian.'

"N-nothing, Sir."

Simbol just stared at Munkustrap. "Is it Demeter? Are you being distracted by a queen?"

Munkustrap felt his cheeks heat up - Simbol knew how he felt about Demeter!? - but he shook his head. "No, Sir, it's not Demeter."

"Then is it Tugger?"

Munkustrap looked up sharply at that, and Simbol gave the barest hint of a smirk. He was right, and he knew it...

"What happened?" Simbol asked, still keeping his eyes on Munkustrap.

"I... uh... don't wanna talk about it," Munkustrap said, staring down at his paws.

"Munkustrap..." There was a warning to Simbol's voice now, advising Munkustrap to keep talking _or else._

Munkustrap closed his eyes and laid down again. His posture mimicked Simbol's, but he held his tail much tighter against his feet, his shoulders were hunched, and every muscle was tense. "I just... we're not friends anymore."

"Why not?" Simbol asked. "The two of you are even closer than Plato, Alonzo, and Cattivo."

"Because I screwed up," Munkustrap muttered darkly. "Or maybe he screwed up. I don't know. One of us screwed up. Or both of us. I don't know..."

"'Screwed up?'" Simbol rolled onto his side, opening his posture even further. He wasn't trying to antagonize Munkustrap right now, but was instead trying to encourage him to keep talking.

Munkustrap saw this when he cracked his eyes open, and he bit his lip, wondering how much he dared to tell Simbol. "Tugger... brought some catnip a few weeks ago," he began slowly. "And we tried it together."

He stopped, and almost smiled. Almost. The expression on Simbol's face told him that the older cat knew perfectly well what had happened after that, and that he had experienced it himself.

"So you ended your friendship over some catnip-induced stupidity?"

Munkustrap sighed. "It wasn't so much the stupidity, but what we did the next morning, when we weren't catnip-induced. I kinda... yelled at him, and we got into a fight... I hit him."

"You hit him?"

Munkustrap nodded miserably. "Clawed him, actually."

"Did he deserve it?"

That was an odd question, coming from Simbol, Simbol who preached to his guardians to never, not _ever_ hurt another Jellicle. "Um... no?"

Simbol chuckled and shook his head. "Munkustrap, did you hit him on the face and give him those scratches we all saw a few weeks ago?"

Munkustrap nodded.

"While it _is_ wrong to hurt another Jellicle, sometimes - and this doesn't mean I condone your choice of actions - sometimes such a route is unavoidable. I'm fully aware of how... bratty Tugger can be, at times. Was he mouthing off to you? Was he being an irritating little snot?" And from the amused look on Simbol's face, Munkustrap was fairly certain that this wasn't the first time Simbol had called Tugger an irritating little snot.

He nodded, feeling like he was betraying Tugger by admitting that, even if he didn't say it out loud.

Simbol moved, then, rolling onto his feet and approaching the miserable silver tabby. He sat down beside Munkustrap and pulled the younger cat into his arms. "Tugger's not perfect, Munkustrap," he said. "Nobody is. It's all right to acknowledge his faults."

Munkustrap bit his lip, surprised that Simbol had hugged him (Simbol was _hugging_ him? Didn't he _hate_ him?), but grateful all the same. He unwrapped his arms from himself and hesitantly curled them around Simbol. The moment he was returning the embrace, though, he clung, not even realizing how much he needed this.

As Munkustrap clung to Simbol, hiding his face in a golden patch, he could feel Simbol's strong paws stroking down his back, coaxing a purr from him. He almost jumped when he felt Simbol press a kiss between his ears, something he had seen the older cat do with his sons... but he hadn't been expecting such a show of affection toward himself.

Nor had he expected it to feel so... so... un-fatherly…

Munkustrap turned his face up to look at Simbol, feeling incredibly confused. Had Simbol _meant_ that to be so… more-than-friendly, or was he just reading too much into the gesture? He found, to his surprise, that he _wanted_ it to mean something more. In that instant, with Simbol's arms around him, and the darkness surrounding both of them, sheltered in his den, Munkustrap found that he wanted Simbol, wanted to older cat to kiss him again, to touch him…

As he studied Simbol's ever-unreadable gold eyes, trying to find some sign, anything, to tell him what Simbol had meant by that kiss, Simbol closed his eyes and bowed his head. "One night, Munkustrap. If this is what you need – one night."

Munkustrap's eyes widened – had Simbol read his mind? Had Simbol actually _offered_ for that kiss to have meant something more?

Was Simbol offering him a night to… for them to… without the catnip fog that he had had with Tugger?

Simbol reached up with one paw, stroking Munkustrap's cheek. Munkustrap purred, turning his face into the calloused pads, his eyes falling closed. He felt Simbol's paw curl down, cupping his chin and turning his face up, and then Simbol's lips were on his.

Munkustrap moaned as he surged up, pressing against Simbol from nose to hips, returning the kiss. He ran his paws down Simbol's back, careful not to tug any of the smooth fur. He couldn't explain his sudden desire for this cat, but he was tired of being alone. If Simbol was here, and Simbol was willing, then he saw no reason why he shouldn't take him up on the offer.

Simbol growled, and Munkustrap immediately released him and shrank back into a corner, wondering if it was possible he had misunderstood. Simbol, however, stalked toward Munkustrap, eyeing him as he would his prey. Munkustrap shivered at the sight of those powerful muscles rippling the fur, and that predatory smile on his lips, and that gleam to his eye… but while Simbol looked for all the world like he was hunting, that smile was strangely comforting.

There wasn't enough space in the den for a full-fledged pounce, so Simbol settled on a rush, pinning Munkustrap against the wall before Munkustrap even realized Simbol had picked up speed. He gasped at the sudden attack, melting as Simbol was kissing him again, fierce, soul-burning kisses that curled his toes and sent bolts of pleasure straight to his groin.

Apparently, he hadn't misread things. Simbol just liked being dominant in a relationship – not that Munkustrap was surprised by that knowledge. He couldn't see Simbol bowing to _anyone_ (except Old Deuteronomy, but not in a lover kind of way…)

As Munkustrap sagged in Simbol's grip, his knees buckling, the older cat huffed a laugh against his mouth and switched his pin. Instead of holding Munkustrap by the shoulders, he now had the younger cat by the front paws, stretching them over his head and holding Munkustrap up. Munkustrap whined, panting heavily. This new position exposed his entire chest and stomach to Simbol, and while Munkustrap trusted him, every well-honed instinct was telling him that this was a very bad, very vulnerable position to be in. To his embarrassment, that thought only turned him on even more.

Simbol nipped at Munkustrap's chin and ran his tongue down his throat, nudging his legs apart with his foot. Munkustrap gasped, tilting his head back, "Sir… _Simbol_," he whispered. "Please…"

"Mmm… please what?" Simbol asked, pressing his fangs against Munkustrap's throat, being very careful not to break the skin.

_Everlasting Cat! _Munkustrap whimpered, forcing himself to stay very still, so that he didn't accidentally tear his own throat open. If Simbol kept this up, he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to last!

"Please what?" Simbol asked again, his lips moving against Munkustrap's neck.

With the threat of his throat being torn out gone, Munkustrap arched toward Simbol. "Touch me… please, touch me… kiss me… fuck me…"

"Hmm…" Simbol pulled away from Munkustrap, looking him over with those gold eyes. He kept Munkustrap's arms pinned to the wall, and Munkustrap felt his blush deepen as Simbol dropped his eyes lower to his aching erection and trembling legs. "Why?"

"Wh-what?" Munkustrap didn't understand what Simbol was asking.

"Why should I," Simbol whispered, his voice deeper when he was aroused, and _Oh Heaviside! _his paw brushing just over the tip of Munkustrap's arousal was sheer torture, "touch you? Kiss you?" His lips barely ghosted over Munkustrap's. "_Fuck _you?" He leaned closer, rolling his groin against Munkustrap's hips, letting the younger cat feel his own erection.

"_Please! _" Munkustrap begged, pulling and tugging to try and free himself from Simbol's grip. He jerked, his hips pumping ineffectively at the air. Simbol had moved again, though, staying just out of Munkustrap's reach. "Simbol… please…"

"Why?" Simbol asked again, and Munkustrap thrashed in frustration – how could Simbol be so calm?

"Why?"

"I don't know!" Munkustrap burst out, sagging again, unable to stretch enough to get Simbol to touch him again. "I don't know… I need it… need you… please, Simbol…"

Simbol moved a little closer, and Munkustrap looked up at him, not bothering to hide anything from him anymore. "I'm so tired of being alone…"

_**Insert Crazy Cat Sex Here (Our Jellicles for the full version)**_

After Munkustrap was clean, Simbol sat back and washed his paws and face. He looked over toward the exit of the den, and Munkustrap sat up gingerly, reaching a paw toward him. "Please… don't go…" Simbol turned to look impassively at Munkustrap, and the younger cat bit his lip. "Please… I don't want to be alone…"

A flash of lightning lit the den for a second, and Munkustrap watched Simbol turn back to the exit. He hung his head, at once both grateful for Simbol for doing as much as he already had, and mourning the fact that this would be another night he would spend alone, tucked away in his den.

"It's raining," Simbol said unexpectedly. "I don't want to get wet." Munkustrap looked up in surprise, and Simbol looked back at him with a faint smile. "I'll spend the rest of the night here, if you don't mind."

Munkustrap shook his head no, a smile creeping across his face as he hesitantly walked toward Simbol. The older cat turned and met him halfway, pulling Munkustrap into his arms. "It is time to sleep, though," he whispered into the purring cat's ear as he laid them down again. "Good night, Munkustrap."

"Good night, Simbol," Munkustrap whispered back, cuddling into Simbol's broad chest. "… thank you."

Simbol nuzzled Munkustrap between the ears before his breathing evened out and he fell asleep. Munkustrap remained awake for some time after that, though, listening to Simbol's heartbeat and the rain outside.

When he woke up the next morning, Simbol was still there, still holding him, but awake and watching. "Good morning," Simbol murmured. "Sleep well?"

Munkustrap nodded, yawning and stretching. "Did you?"

"Can't complain," Simbol replied. He unwrapped himself from Munkustrap and rolled to his feet. "I have to go now, though, before Admetus starts looking for me."

Munkustrap nodded again, understanding. "Simbol... thank you for staying," he said quietly, looking down at his paws.

Simbol stepped over to Munkustrap and tilted his face up. "Last night was one time only… but if you ever need anything else, I _am_ here to help you. Even if it's just company on some of these long nights." He smoothed his paw over Munkustrap's ears and kissed the top of his head again. "You're part of the Jellicle family, Munkustrap. You don't ever have to be alone again."

Munkustrap smiled and bit his lip and hugged Simbol tightly, unable to tell him with words just how much this approval meant to him.

* * *

Yay for more Simbol!

I am working on the next story (new tentative title: A Tale of Three Kittens), and I'm also working on a non-Ritzkin story (which will have mention of Tumblebrutus/Tantomile, as requested, but I can't do much with it). More will be coming, eventually. I just thought I'd provide you with this tidbit to show I'm not dead.


End file.
